STOP LOSING MONEY: BEYOND THE BROOM

Whether manufacturing or maintenance is involved, the task of industrial cleaning is to assure the levels of cleanliness required for further processing or error-free, correct functioning of operations. Ever stricter demands, coupled with rising cost pressures, make it absolutely essential that your cleaning processes be matched to actual operational requirements.

For example, 27.5 percent of the average production time required for manufacturing a cylinder head for a 4-cylinder diesel engine goes to cleaning, and the associated manufacturing costs amount to 6.6 percent. This means the cleanliness of the components is not only a quality feature, it also plays an essential role as a factor in the value creation sequence. Considerable quality and cost optimization potential, very often unheeded, is frequently harbored within the parts cleaning process.

These sorts of enormously heightened demands for component and surface cleanliness are driving greater efforts in the area of parts cleaning in nearly all sectors of manufacturing. Of course, at the very same time, rising cost pressure is forcing manufacturers to produce their products more and more efficiently.

These pressures on value creation are really underrated when you analyze the considerable proportion of production time and costs required for cleaning many components. For example, according to the Fraunhofer Alliance for Cleaning Technology (Stuttgart, Germany), cleaning time comes in at roughly 10 percent for an auto body frame component made of steel, and the expenditures amount to about 5 percent of total manufacturing costs. This figure can be as high as 25 percent for ball bearings.

Industrial cleaning is playing an ever more important role in the area of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) as a preventive measure targeted at avoiding costly machine and system failures and/or reducing maintenance time. In manufacturing as well as in the MRO processes, cleaning tasks need to be completed as economically and ecologically as possible.

The time has come to revisit different cleaning techniques, viewing them instead as a strategic chain of activity involved in cleaning technology that encompasses both upstream and downstream processes.

Upstream processes deal with process analysis, where the emphasis lies on preventive measures to avoid contamination and reduce the necessity and cost of cleaning. Downstream processes include quality assurance of the cleaning work, drying technology for wet chemical cleaning processes, and the environmentally compatible disposal of waste products and used solvents.

To develop a strategy that covers the entire range of cleaning technologies used in their operation, many manufacturers are starting to separate those activities into areas that focus on, for example, the cleaning of buildings and structures, sanitation and hygiene, surface cleaning prior to coating, the cleaning of electronic or other special components, etc.

CLEANING STRATEGIES FOR MANUFACTURING

Regardless of whether extremely demanding or simple cleaning tasks are involved, there is no single correct solution to efficiently and ecologically achieve the required cleanliness. Cleaning processes frequently provide opportunities to reduce operating costs and improve quality. To take advantage of this, a cleaning concept must be matched to the task at hand.

A requirements-oriented, well-matched cleaning concept often makes it possible to exploit optimization potential throughout the entire production sequence, and makes manufacturing more efficient. This, however, requires knowledge about the capabilities of various cleaning technologies and how they can be used in an optimised fashion.

The most suitable process ? ranging from wet chemical processes such as spray, immersion and ultrasonic cleaning, to dry processes such as CO2 and plasma cleaning ? as well as duration of treatment and the number of process steps, can all be determined on the basis of key factors that include component geometry, material, type and degree of contamination, utilized cleaning agent, throughput and cleanliness requirements.

Depending upon the task at hand, it might also make good economical sense to combine various processes. Modern automation and handling systems, such as robots, allow for quick adjustment to various components and changing requirements within the cleaning process itself. Where cleaning agents are concerned, suppliers are assuring improved economy, environmental compatibility and shorter process times by means of ongoing development and innovation.

Media treatment also has a considerable influence on the quality and the costs of the cleaning process. With the help of effective filtration and separating systems, such as oil separators, particle filters, membrane filters and water treatment, bath service life can be increased and disposal costs can be reduced. If a batch process is used, the utilized cleaning racks can have a great influence on cleaning results, time and costs.

If the parts can be easily accessed from all sides, the right racks offer potential optimization of parts cleaning results, time and costs. Whether inspection is involved for technical cleanliness of functionally relevant components, such as the automotive industry accordance with VDA 19 and ISO 16232, or if checking for other types of work piece cleanliness is involved, the inspection of component surfaces for cleanliness is a significant factor for quality-oriented manufacturing.

CLEANING IN THE MRO PROCESSES

Where cleaning processes for maintenance are concerned, maintaining or restoring the functionality and efficiency of machines and equipment is at the center of attention on the one hand. On the other hand, certain tasks are involved in removing existing coatings, for example protective tool coatings and paint, for the purpose of either applying a new coating or inspecting the tools.

Maintenance and repair work must always be completed as quickly as possible, in order to minimize idle time. CO2 blasting is a process which usually makes it possible to efficiently clean machinery, equipment and molds ? typically without removing them. This dry process can also be used to clean power transmission components, and to remove paints and coatings.

Dry steam compressed air cleaning is suitable for quickly and effectively removing grease, oil, graphite and other types of coarse contamination from production machines such as foundry equipment, presses, stamping, milling and CNC machines, as well as production lines and robot systems. Ultrasonic processes make it possible to fulfil strict cleanliness requirements for the cleaning of machine and device components. Thanks to the special characteristics of this process, complete assemblies (such as transmissions and engines) can be cleaned without being dismantled.

A CLEAN SWEEP

The bottom line here is that innovative manufacturers are moving beyond the broom. No longer an afterthought, industrial cleaning now plays a huge role in their manufacturing and maintenance strategies. What about your operation?

Engage your organization to actively kick industrial cleaning up a notch in your manufacturing processes and overall operations. Teach them to treat cleaning strategically, as a competitive weapon to invest in, and capitalize on the opportunities it provides you to reduce your costs and improve your product quality.

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Fraunhofer Alliance for Cleaning Technology, Nobelstrasse 12, Stuttgart, Germany 70569, +49 7 11 / 9 70-11 48, Fax: +49 7 11 /9 70-10 07, www.fraunhofer.de.

Plan to attend parts2clean, a technical trade fair with the world?s most comprehensive offerings for cleaning within the production process and maintenance. It takes place in Stuttgart, Germany, October 20-22, 2009.www.parts2clean.com